Sol-gel material, and use thereof

Abstract

A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system, comprises a substrate, an emitter material adhered to the substrate, and a thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell. The emitter material is a typically a metal oxide doped nickel oxide sol-gel material, in which the metal is magnesium or zirconium, and in which the sol-gel material comprises 97-99 mol % metal oxide, and about 1-3 mol % nickel oxide dopant. Providing an emitter material as a sol-gel allows the material to be coated on to surfaces providing better adherence to the surface, and also provides excellent heat stability. A sol-gel material is also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of making nickel oxide doped metal oxide sol-gel, and the method comprising the steps of:
 I. providing a magnesium nitrate hydrate precursor solution; 
 II. providing a nickel alkoxide dopant precursor solution comprising nickel chloride hexahydrate and water; 
 III. mixing the two solutions to provide a colloidal sol; and 
 IV. dehydrating the colloidal sol to provide the nickel oxide doped magnesium oxide sol-gel. 
 
     
     
       2. A method of making a nickel oxide doped zirconium oxide sol-gel, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a zirconium alkoxide precursor solution by diluting the zirconium alkoxide in Methacrylic acid, stirring for a suitable period of time, adding a solvent to disperse the solution, and further stirring of the solution; 
 providing a nickel alkoxide dopant precursor solution by mixing nickel 2-methoxyethoxide in an alcohol;
 mixing the two solutions to provide a first colloidal sol; 
 
 adding water and solvent to the first colloidal sol to release nickel ions and generate a second colloidal sol; and 
 dehydrating the second colloidal sol to provide the zirconium oxide doped nickel oxide sol-gel.